Hearts and Minds
| image= | tag= | author=Gary Kleppe | language= | rating= | type= | genre= | chapters=9 | words= | pub_date=February 10th, 1999 | update=August 26th, 2013 | current_status= }} Hearts and Minds is written by Gary Kleppe and began online publication on February 10th, 1999.Post at FFML It was completed on August 26th, 2013.Post at FFML - Retrieved 21-09-2014 Description Plot Part 1 Several years after the failed wedding, the Amazon village is facing an imminent military invasion by a new Mongolian regime. Shan Pu returns to Nerima to recruit help. Many of the old cast gather, including Kasumi Tendo who has been studying under a Shinto priestess/mystic, Hikaru Gosunkugi who unknown to anyone has received training from Happosai, Nabiki Tendo who is an executive for an American corporation, and Kodachi Kuno who is now somehow powerful enough to defeat Ranma Saotome in combat. Part 2 Mongol troops invade and occupy the Amazons while our heroes are en route there. Kasumi teaches Genma Saotome, Mu Si, Ranma, and Shan Pu a technique she developed to change to their cursed forms and back at will without water. Part 3 The group arrives at the occupied village, and abducts a Mongol officer in order to pump him for information. Part 4 Ranma's group carry out sabotage against the Mongol soldiers and subsequently lure a big group of them into a confrontation/ambush at Jusenkyo. The soldiers are routed, but Tatewaki Kuno is injured in the battle. The village is liberated. Ryoga Hibiki discovers what appears to be Kodachi's head and body not attached. Part 5 Ranma, Akane, Genma, Ryoga, Mu Si, Kasumi, and Dr. Ono Tofu set out to confront Ha Bu, the leader of the new Mongol regime. Ranma discovers that the spirit of Feng Lili, the girl who died at Jusenkyo, has left him, and he can no longer change into female form. En route to Mongolia, Mu Si is on guard duty and is accosted by Zhen Biaozi, a renegade Amazon elder who is oddly young-looking; when the rest of the group wake up, he and Kasumi are gone. Shan Pu is caught in a trap which douses her in Jusenkyo water, turning into a duplicate of the now deceased Ke Lun. Part 6 Nabiki works with Lan, the Chief Elder of the Amazons, to try to help Shan Pu, but nothing works. Hikaru and Ti Pi, a young Amazon warrior/scholar, search Shan's house for Linghungbao, a reputedly powerful mystic gem. Kasumi, now a prisoner at a Mongol military base, channels energy from the spirits of the dead to strengthen Mu Si, allowing him to break out of his cell. Ranma's group enters the base and is confronted by three American paranormal agents plus a group of soldiers. Meanwhile back in Nerima, Kodachi (who had earlier faked her own death) tries to trap Ukyo Kuonji using the same water that had hit Shan Pu. Part 7 Mu Si knocks out the electrical generator at the Mongol base, giving Kasumi and the others the chance to escape; he then flies back toward home. Ukyo knocks out Kodachi but is hit by Kodachi's weapons which are animated by powerful battle spirits, and is taken prisoner. Nabiki figures out how to cure Shan Pu. Ranma discovers that a good portion of his strength and speed have departed along with the curse spirit. Mikado Sanzenin and Azusa Shiratori break into the Kuno mansion to rescue Ukyo; all are captured but not before Ukyo pours the Kelunniquan water down the sink. Tatewaki and Ti Pi, on guard duty, are accosted and captured by Lieutenant Amar, a Mongol intelligence agent. Hikaru finds the Linghungbao. Part 8 Tsubasa Kurenai goes to Jusenkyo, intending to jump in the Spring of Drowned Girl, but chickens out. Ukyo, the Golden Pair, and Konastu fight Kodachi, with no success until Azusa Shiratori sweet-talks Kodachi's weaponry into disobeying her. Amar captures Mu Si and Hikaru, but the latter uses the Linghungbao which causes him to fire off a massive Happodaikarin, injuring and knocking out both Amar and himself. Elder Kui, an Amazon who had secretly helped the Mongols, finds and takes the gem and sends it via carrier bird to Ha Bu. Biaozi arrives at the village with a group of Mongol soldiers; ordering them to keep the Amazons busy, she sneaks into the village and captures Shan Pu. Part 9 Tsubasa gets inside a tank and makes short work of the Mongol soldiers at the village. Meanwhile, Nabiki confronts the head of the company she works for and ends up deciding to quit. Kasumi peers into her own future, then makes love to Tofu. Biaozi, who thanks to Jusenkyo magic looks like Shan Pu, arranges a meeting with the Elders, then frees a pair of soldiers from the healer's so that they can be present with guns at the meeting. Genma figures out that the opposition can track him remotely and tries to leave the group. Ranma follows with the others close behind but is caught in a bomb blast; he and Akane Tendo are captured. Part 10 Tatewaki and Ti Pi cause a distraction while Mu Si and Hikaru sneak into where the Amazon Elders are being held at gunpoint. Biaozi's plan is to blow them up and take over by impersonating Shan Pu, but Mu Si defeats her with Hikaru's help. Meanwhile, Kasumi, Tofu, and Ryoga track Ranma and Akane to the Mongol Palace. Kasumi taps into the spirits of the dead to power up Ryoga to the point where he's virtually unstoppable, but one of the American paranormal agents traps him using mental illusions while the other two search for the source of his power. Ryoga knocks out the illusionist, but is inadvertently hit by a fire hose which turns him into P-chan. Akane escapes her cell and finds the Linghungbao which lets her do new types of ki blasts. She and Ranma fight Ha Bu, whom Ranma pours water on, summoning back the curse spirit which brings him back up to full power. But Ha Bu gets his hands on the Linghungbao and begins building a ki blast of staggering power. Ranma and Akane run. The blast goes out of control, blowing up Ha along with a big chunk of the palace. Tofu defeats one of the paranormals but the other one drains his energy and spirit; that paranormal kills Kasumi and then himself. With Ha's regime deposed, Ranma returns to Jusenkyo for a second dip in the Spring. Shan Pu and Tatewaki are married, and the remaining group members return home. Notes *Sequel to "Hearts and Minds Preludes", also by Kleppe. *The story ''Shampoo for the Preludes series can also be considered as a side story to this story. *A Spam-fic based on the story, "Fatora and Alielle Finish "Hearts and Minds"" by H.K. Miller, also exists. Awards *TASS Continuing Series Award for April 2001, 3rd place *TASS Continuing Series Award for May 2001, 1st place FFML Posting History *Part 1 10/02/99 *Part 2 15/03/99 *Part 3 01/06/99 *Part 4 06/04/00 *Part 4 (revision) 11/05/00 *Part 1 (revision) 22/07/01 *Part 2 (revision) 23/07/01 *Part 3 (revision) 25/07/01 *Part 4 (revision) 27/07/01 *Part 5 29/07/01 *Part 4 (revision) 09/06/03 *Part 5 (revision) 18/06/03 *Part 6 30/06/03 *Part 1 (revision) 02/04/12 *Part 2 (revision) 05/04/12 *Part 3 (revision) 09/04/12 *Part 4 (revision) 12/04/12 *Part 5 (revision) 16/04/12 *Part 6 (revision) 19/04/12 *Part 7 23/04/12 *Part 8 15/04/13 *Part 9 13/06/13 *Part 1 (revision) 24/06/13 *Part 2 (revision) 01/07/13 *Part 3 (revision) 08/07/13 *Part 4 (revision) 15/07/13 *Part 5 (revision) 22/07/13 *Part 6 (revision) 29/07/13 *Part 7 (revision) 05/08/13 *Part 8 (revision) 12/08/13 *Part 9 (revision) 18/08/13 *Part 10A 26/08/13 *Part 10B 26/08/13 See Also Other External Links *[http://www.garykleppe.org/comics.html Hearts and Minds at Gary Kleppe's fanfiction] - Retrieved 21-09-2014 References